Hello All!
Last year I decided to try and raise Monarch Butterflies and this decision was made in the middle of July... So, by the time eggs were collected, only 2 ended up going thru all of the phases to become Adult Monarch Butterlies and this happened in late Auguest and early September. I learned that the caterpillars that go thru the whole phase of caterpillar to pupae to butterfly late in the summer, are the ones that start the long trek southward as part of the overall migration of the species.
Above is "Rowdy Roddy Piper" sitting on my hand - dated Sept 12, 2009. This picture was taken shortly after the butterfuly had pumped all of the extra body liquid that is left over from the metamorphosis from catepillar to butterfuly - into its' wings and it is just getting a handle on flight.
I hope to be blessed with this happening as well this year.
Now, since I did not start my blog right away when I began collecting the eggs, here is a "catch up" on what has happened so far this year....
This year I decided to get "smart" and actually collect the Monarch eggs earlier than 2009. Monarch Butterflies tend to lay their eggs on Milkweed plants. They do so on the underside of the sturdy leaves and their egg is oval (not round) and very pearl-like in colour and appearance. To find these eggs, a couple of different strategies were undertaken:
1. Raid a neighbour's boulevard where they have Common Milkweed Growing. Said neighbour actually had moved, so yippee, no explaining why I was getting so intimate with the boulevard garden.
2. When out for a walk I would peruse local Milkweeds for eggs.
3. Go to last year's favourite Caterpillar Grocery Store where we found most of the milkweed to feed our caterpillars, and we spent quality time looking through this wild greenspace. Spiders, Snakes and Poison Ivy warning here...and there...and everywhere...
4. Look over my Milkweed plants everyday to see if eggs had appeared on them.
5. Go back to raiding said neighbour's boulevard with Milkweed plants as it was much tamer than the wild...and with great success, I found more eggs.
As of July 4, 2010, I have collected 19 eggs and as of this evening, have had 9 teeny tiny caterpillars come out of their own individual egg and I have 10 eggs to go.
Drum roll please - the caterpillar family so far has:
Date of Birth from Egg Rank Name
June 27 #1 Cleopatra
June 27 #2 Anthony
June 29 #3 Isis
July 3 #4 Tutankhamen Orr
July 3 #5 Mighty Aphrodite
July 4 #6 Adonis Upon Us
July 4 #7 Hatshepsut
July 4 #8 Amenhotep
July 4 #9 Caviar
*I don't actually give the name until the little 'pillar is out of it's egg casing and rocking along!
Here's hoping that more of the little buggers will come out.
As a note, caterpillars come out in difference sizes (we are talking part of a millimetre or more for size differential ) and will remain their "size" their entire life cycle. For example - a small one will become a small butterfly aand a large one, a large butterfly. Last year we had a great example of this as "Rowdy Roddy Piper" was a smaller caterpillar and ended up becoming a butterfly of only 3" across wingspan and "CM Punk" was larger thru the whole process and was 4" across wingspan.
Now, as soon as the caterpillar comes out of it's egg, it will eat the eggshell as it is a source of nutrients. Then, the CHOMP DOWN begins...each little 'pillar will start eating and stopping and frassing and growing and eating and stopping and frassing and growing.....(you get the idea) until it is ready to go into Pupae stage and begin that miraculous transformation from caterpillar into butterfly.
**frassing is caterpillar pooping. And yes, there will be A LOT of frass over the coming weeks!
Now, what I want to share with everyone is this very cool thing that the Monarch Caterpillars go thru. I will provide "best as possible pictures" (hard to tell a 2 mm ' pillar to get ready for it's close up) and commentary as well to explain what is going on. Sometimes the 'pillars take on a life of their own, however I will do my best to not anthropomorphize them. Sometimes I will be able to give you the name of the 'pillar as well but as this is my first year with well....9 caterpillars so far, there may be times that I won't get the name.
Thank-you for reading and I look forward to hearing your comments.
MNN
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